Flowers in Israel: Shepherd’s-needle
Scandix pecten-veneris, Shepherd’s needle, Venus’ needle, Shepherdsneedle,
Hebrew: מסרק שולמית, Arabic: مشط الزهرة
| Scientific name: | Scandix pecten-veneris L. | |
| Common name: | Shepherd’s needle, Venus’ needle, shepherdsneedle | |
| Hebrew name: | מסרק שולמית | |
| Arabic name: | مشط الزهرة | |
| Family: | Umbelliferae / Apiaceae, סוככים |
 Location: Neot Kedumim |
| Life form: | Annual | |
| Stems: | Taprooted, rosetted, 1−several-stemmed at base, with ascending lateral branches, 15–30+ cm tall; cylindric, hollow, hairy | |
| Leaves: | Alternate, dissected, bipinnate or more | |
| Inflorescence: | Terminal, compound umbel of 2-3 rays | |
| Flowers: | No sepals; 5, spreading, unequal, obovate or heart-shaped to roundish; 5 stamens; 1 pistil | |
| Fruits / pods: | Schizocarp, of 2 dry, 1-seeded halves (mericarps), linear with long beak having persistent stylopodium and styles, to 8 cm long, beak > seed body, scabrous with upward-pointing barbs along ribs and beak; stylopodium halves ascending, often reddish, styles ascending, to 1.5 mm long | |
| Flowering Period: | March, April | |
| Habitat: | Batha, Phrygana | |
| Distribution: | Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Shrub-steppes, Deserts and extreme deserts | |
| Chorotype: | Euro-Siberian – Med – Irano-Turanian | |
| Summer shedding: | Ephemeral |
 Location: Neot Kedumim Derivation of the botanical name: Scandix, Greek skandix or skandikos which was used by Aristophanes (ca.456 – ca.386 BCE) and Theophrastus (370 — ca.285 BCE), to chervil, which later became the Latin scandix.
pecten-veneris, pecten, a comb, rake; vener, generative of venus, Venus, goddess of love; Venus’ comb.
 Location: Neot Kedumim |